It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to put ‘Kudoz and Wet Willis’ together like this, but this version of K&W will be a rare ‘Wet Willie-less’ version. Something is certain, sure, but the New York Giants’ first win over the Philadelphia Eagles, which puts the Giants in the middle of the playoff race as a smack-dab, is not the time to shudder.
This is the time to celebrate the much awaited achievement of the fan base. So let’s do that.
From Kudos …
Wayne Gellman – Gallum doesn’t say he’s just “going out there and showing who Wayne Gelman is.” The best version is Gelman’s state line (18 carry, 53 yards, 2.9 yards per carry, 2 short touchdown runs) doesn’t tell the story of how good he was on Sunday.
The 26-year-old ran hard against the Eagles, as he now has weeks. He ran decisively. He got every possible yard from his every run. You have an average y.ards yard per vehicle (car car carries, 555 yards) and a touch touchdown.
The same judge says the Giants have found their identity when it comes to running the ball. Gelman is a big part of the identity.
Daniel Jones – Second-year quarterback went 21 of 28 for 244 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass. He also ran for Team-Best 64 Yards, including a 34-yard score. Jones has had big statistics games. He threw 5 touchdown passes in the game last season, and threw 4 touchdown passes twice.
Sunday, however, is the best Jones could play as a pro. It was the best he played this season. He didn’t come close to throwing an obstacle. He didn’t get close to putting the ball on the ground despite taking it nine times and kicking it three times. No one can say he turned down the opportunity to land the ball because Jones is connected to so many big plays in the second half. The judge said the quarterback was a “big-time throw” in a number of cases.
Darius Slaton – It looked like the Giants would have to play without their best wide receiver when Slaton went out with a shoulder injury after his first day’s catch. He came back though, and that’s a good thing he did. Slaton finished with five catches for 93 yards.
The second-year wide receiver fell in the fourth quarter with a 21-17 lead to the Giants that forced the Giants to pont and the Giants fans had to think about the Evan Engram drop three weeks ago. More than Slaton Atonement, however, made a brilliant arrangement to catch a 40-yard rainbow from Jones with 4-10 left in the game, setting up a Graham Song field goal that didn’t give the Giants a two-score lead.
Riley Dixon – There was a time when Dixon’s leg strength was a question mark. Not now. Not after the 71-yard punt there was almost all the air and only a few yards of the roll. Dicks punched four times, averaging per punt.33.unt. Yards, all four punt in the 20-yard line in Philadelphia were down and not a single return yard allowed. That day is good.
Graham Geno – Clutch has fourth-quarter field goals of 35 and 44 yards, and Gano has now scored 20 straight. Her only miss this season has come from 57 yards. Oh, and Geno gave himself a fancy new contract that will run until 2023.
Giants run-blocked – The Giants have now run more than 100 yards in five straight games and six of their last seven. Some of them are related to Daniel Jones. The offensive line is left with run-blocking, as well as players like Tight and Kaden Smith and wide receiver Austin. I have said for years that if you can block you can run successfully, even if the back is. The Giants are proving that the past two weeks.
James Bradberry – Why on earth would the Eagles coach D Pedg Pederson design the fourth-and-10th fourth-quarter Philly needed to convert to challenge Bradberry? Either way, the Peders chose what to do on the fourth-and-10th of the Giants 36 with their team playing 7 points down with 4:56. Rejected the pass made for Bradberry Jillian Regor.
Third-down defense – The Eagles went 0 for 9 on a third-down conversion attempt. It’s true that Philadelphia spent time unable to get out on their own on Sunday, but part of it was also due to Patrick Graham’s defensive calls and the Giants ’defensive execution. For years, we’ve been complaining about the Giants’ inability to defend in third place. Well, you can’t do better than that. Sunday marked the first time since Sunday, October 25, 2010, against a Dallas Cowboys whose veteran opponent had not converted a third down.
Gabriel Pepper – Safety / Punt returnee had his best game in a few weeks. He was defensively active with 7 tackles, 2 losses, a half sack and a quarterback hit. Pepper’s four-punt return also includes 20-yards, averaging 11.8 yards.
